


Baleful Thirst

by nachoc



Category: Happy Tree Friends
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-08-19 14:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20211622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nachoc/pseuds/nachoc
Summary: The thirst for profit changes people beyond all recognition. And sometimes it leads to quite unfortunate consequences. No. Always. And what can a person do only to achive their goal?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Губительная Жажда](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/507085) by JCMV_343. 

> author`s note:  
For the record: in this fic twins can only die once and can`t be reborn, unlike canonically. Everything like in real life

Along with angry swearing and tough bawdry, the evening was absorbed with loud strikes on the table and walls. That kind of interaction has long ago become entrenched between brothers. Shifty had been literally nailing his brother to the wall, painfully smashing his head against it. Malignly bearing his teeth, the younger lashed out at the older, struggling to unclench his brother's tenacious hands from his own neck and threw Shifty off himself with a spiteful yelp, punching him in the face first. Scared, Lifty pressed himself to the wall, waiting for another punch from a distraught sibling, as well as trying to stop the blood from his nose.

"Calm down, asshole!" Lifty yelled, exhausted, dodging new blows from his brother.

But nothing can stop Shifty now. The older brother can be worse than green Berserker sometimes. Lifty always avoided such a furious state of his twin, even though "The blind affray" is a rare occurrence. Why "The blind affray"? Lifty came up with that term for the case when enraged with mundane problem Shifty begins to blindly swing his fists on him, engaging burglarious methods of fighting, which is biting, kicking and scratching. That happens often, if not to say every day. Lifty had no other choice except to defend himself or hastily leave the house, waiting until brother calms down and turns the place upside down. Lifty`ve got used to it long ago. Although, to be completely honest, he always reacted to it with irritation and anger.

Today, however, he wasn`t lucky. Shifty was on edge, crushing everything he could lay his hands on. Shouting curses, he wouldn`t let him pass, yelled, hit his twin on the face and head, although receiving decent strikes on his stomach and face himself. However, the pain seemed to only wind him up. Having captured the moment, he grabbed Lifty by his throat and started to knock his head against the wall, like a rag doll. Dark green hair on the back of the neck of a younger thief turned maroon and the wall got covered with red stains. Nonetheless, Shifty kept going until Lifty rolled down the wall, clamping the fragmented head. He was barely breathing, with his eyes rolled back. Shifty stood over him with such fierce brutal grin, that Lifty unwittingly screwed up his eyes. He was scared. For the first time, Lifty got scared that he might die. Exhausted, hardly being able to distinguish anything in front of him, he slowly fell to the ground, choking on his own blood from his mouth.

"Pathetic," Shifty snapped out, acrimoniously, and, calmly stepping over banged up twin, left to treat his wounds.

The pain was unbearable. Lifty hadn`t realized completely: What pain? Mental or physical? The soul suffered and the body hurt. He felt the lump getting up his throat. You`re pissing me off. Oh, how much you`re pissing me off. Lifty didn`t want to show his emotions, to appear miserable. He wasn`t completely sure, he already wasn`t like that, anyway.

Care or compassion never gonna come. Lifty completely realized that and tried to restrain the horrible depressing pain inside. And it seemed as if Shifty only exulted at his twin`s pain, showing it with all his appearance — "Gullible. Tigers really don`t change their stripes."

Lifty sat up, rubbing the back of his head with a bloody hand. His whole body ached, the coughing was accompanied by hellish pain in the area of the diaphragm and all over his stomach. He trembled and was falling all the time, trying to get up. The strength hasn`t left his beaten-up body yet. Lifty slowly got to the bathroom and stopped next to the mirror. Trembling hands clenched around the sink with a deadly grip. It`s brims started to turn pink from blood. The red liquid was dripping down his chicks and chin; the shirt that was once red was embellished with giant bloody stains. He spat out, cleaned a soar head, got out the bandages. Then there was the ordinary treatment of wounds, bandages, band-aids, that have been piling up on Lifty`s body with several layers. He didn`t want to look at himself. How did this happen, what has he become? Who did this to him? He was sick of the realization, that he is bound by blood with such a creature. The creature, that doesn't care about anybody, that doesn`t want anybody. Somebody like him needs to only cherish his selfishness, to please his own greed and cruelty. Sickening, disgusting, frustrating. The usual. 

The night promised to be hard, fresh wounds will remind about themselves for a quite long time. Lifty hardly wanted to stay home anyway. Well, the quiet night town will be able to shelter an exhausted thief once again.


	2. Chapter 2

After another fall on the dark burglarious path, Shifty drooped completely. Embittered at everything and everyone, he just couldn`t understand: Where`s the mistake, where`s the crack? The plan was perfect, the valuable artifacts—emerald and ruby pendants, which were recently brought in town, were already in his hands, blinding with it`s shining. This all was so easy, so fucking easy! But no. They managed to ruin and that too. And besides, they almost got into a firefight with that worthless guard. That`s right: who is that "security" without their weapon? However, that doesn`t bother him now.

The older thief, of course, not the one to blame. That`s the tardy brother`s fault, the street fog`s fault, that’s the fault of a patrol dog, that almost bit his leg, that`s everyone`s fault but not his. And of course, he needed to take it out at someone. 

Lifty wasn`t into that. He had absolutely no idea why his older brother didn`t take into account that they would probably increase security in the first days of the exhibit`s arrival. At which of the raids he managed to lose his brains? Lifty tried more than once to stop his blind thirst for getting the pendants, but the older one didn`t take into account his brother`s opinion. Making a displeased snort, the younger thief chose not to dwell on it. However, he wasn`t allowed to peacefully spend time alone. Suddenly the door opened with a slam. 

«What do you want?» Lifty asked calmly, without raising his head.

“You bastard… Son of a bitch… Asshole…” Shifty growled, smiling snidely. He reached behind his brother`s bed in two jumps, leaning over and harshly taking his twin by the chin, directing his head towards him. 

“You`re disgusting…” Lifty hissed. “Fuck away from me.”

“No way,” The older thief squeezed Lifty`s chin more tightly. “How can you chill out here, fuckwad? You don`t care you lost the pendants? 

Lifty was silent. There`s no need to pick a fight. But dear brother. I LOST IT!?

Shifty was grinning, waiting for the reaction from a pissed off brother. He was squeezing his throat more and harder, not taking his venomous eyes off him. Eventually, he got bored with it. Shifty threw himself on top of his brother with a roar, roughly kicking him off the bed. Grabbing him by the throat, Shifty punched him in the nose; the blood came out immediately. Lifty groaned in pain, clenching his nose. He screamed, trying to break free. He punched his brother`s back with his knees, kicking like a wild trapped animal. He somehow contrived to jump, hitting a sadistic brother on the face with his forehead as hard as he could. The man tumbled to the floor, shouting loud and violent swears. However, Shifty hadn`t lost his vigilance. He didn`t want to let his brother leave the room until he`s done playing with him. He jumped up, grabbing Lifty by the leg and standing up immediately, nailing him to the wall.

“Calm down, asshole!” 

After that, the next punch came, and the other one, and the other, and the other… 

* * * 

“Well, how about to pull it off once again? With the new plan and on a new day? I bet this stupid bunch of idiots has loosened their grip!” Shifty was parading around the kitchen excitedly, expounding a plan for the break-in to his brother. “This probably would be much easier than then! Half, if not all of the worthless security dozes till the morning! We need these pendants, we just need! Do you even realize how much money we`re gonna get from them? 

Lifty sat at the table silently, with his hands folded, intently glowering at him. Shifty pretended not to notice that. More specifically, his injuries. Like nothing happened. The bandaged up hands, neck, nose weren`t anything significant or remarkable to him, apparently. Including what happened 4 days ago.

“Dude, we can`t waste it! Head out there tomorrow!” Shifty victoriously threw his arms up.

“What-What? Have you lost your mind?! What do you mean tomorrow?!” Lifty jumped up, leaning over the table. “We haven`t succeeded then and we won`t now… That`s some stupid relic, there`s tons of that security now! Hey, are you even listening?”

In all likelihood, no. Shifty`s venomous green eyes lit up with an untrustworthy gleam. He started to laugh sonorously. 

“No fucking way, it`ll go like butter, if you`re not gonna mess this up, of course! The plan is perfect, this is gonna be fucking incredible. Will enlighten you later, now we need a good night`s sleep!” Shifty walked around the table and gave his brother a strong pat on the sore shoulder. Douche bag, as if on purpose. Lifty didn`t get a chance to protest, as Shifty disappeared in the room with a victorious “YES”. Lifty just stood there, wide-eyed, looking towards the room, just “a bit” fucking surprised. 

“Oh, gosh, you`re such an asshole…” He slowly sat down at the table, covering his head with his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

The downpour had been rattling outside since the morning and the filthy weather came down on the city with all its gifts in the form of sleet and heavy dark clouds. The hollow thunder filled the house with deep well sound, putting in its world of heaviness and incomprehensible worry. 

Lifty was sitting in the living room, after another attempt to get his brother out of his room. He leaned with his head on his hand, having no idea, how he`s going to stop Shifty from his intention to commit an awful mistake, putting under risk his freedom. He felt very foolish, absolutely helpless. He felt sick from the realization of his complete dependence on his brother. It`s not a matter of his prosperity. “I can`t leave him alone, no matter how foolish and sickeningly it may sound. He`s fucked, better to get out to the middle of nowhere, than to stay in this hell. He doesn`t even care about you.” Lifty found himself thinking about that time and again, however the depressing, barely alive, faint hope wallowed in the vicious mass of anger and resentment, trying to find support and salvation, still didn`t let him a chance, that he can live normally without his tormentor. Cos that wasn`t always that terrible. That depressing.

“Shift, either you coming out and telling me the plan, either I`m getting the hell out of here!” The guy yelled, hitting his fist against the table. “You`re gonna make me cross!

“Why the hell are you yelling?! … I can hear you, I`m not dead yet…” Shifty mumbled lazily, starting to tinkering in his room. 

The door swung open dramatically, hitting the wall. Lifty flinched and turned around suddenly, after which his eyes opened in terror. In the doorway was standing Shifty, pointing the barrel of shining gun at him with a malicious grin. 

“Pfft, take it easy, there`s always a little self-defense for every raid,” Shifty grinned, putting the gun in the holster with one sleight-of-hand move. “Catch!”

“Is that thing loaded?”

“The bullets are blank, it`ll be enough. I feel it`ll be of little use to us. 

“You`re too cocky. It`s the first time you`re acting so sloppy… sacred reassurance?

Shifty squinted his eyes snidely at him:

“That bothers you so fucking much?” The grin slipped away from his lips. “Don`t you want an excellent batch of shining earnings? You have changed somehow…” He glanced at his twin reproachfully. “Either you`re coming with me, either get the hell out of here,” Shifty`s voice sounded monotonous, without inflection or any astonishment. “I`m not stopping you, get out of here. I`m capable of doing it myself,” With those words, Shifty turned around and headed to the door. 

“Have you forgotten who I am, huh?” Lifty looked at brother with a frown, fidgeting the gun with his fingers. “I`m so sick of it.”

“Of what exactly?” Shifty grinned, without turning his head. 

“You sometimes forget, that I`m your brother and not the thing you can use as you please? And not the punching bad, which you unscrupulously beat up! Unsympathetic, cocky idiot! How did you end up even coming up with a plan so crazy and recklessly? Asshole, don`t you even care about your freedom? You could listen to me, you know!” Lifty realized, that he`s exposing his most unsecured spot right now, showing his grudge and anger, however, he wasn`t able to stop.

“Don`t flutter yourself,” Shifty cut off snidely, turning around to his brother. The gaze of poisonous eyes turned cold with arrogance, framed with half-closed eyelids. He jerked-up his chin, approaching his brother. “You are only a partner to me, who is pretty useless anyway… The toy, beating bag, you`re right. I didn`t even think, that you grew discouraged so much and that you need to be reminded of reality,” Light smile flashed on his lips. “I don`t recognize you at all. Are you really that gullible?” A man came close to Lifty, grabbing him by his shirt with a sudden move. “Don`t flutter yourself, little brother. You already can guess, that familial sentiment is foreign for me. To not torment your wounded soul, I`m giving it to you straight. I don`t see the occasion for me to change. And even if it`ll appear, it must be extremely valid.”

“And you could even kill me?» Shifty sneered. “Would it be worth to get your hands dirty?” 

“Well, can`t answer for sure,” With these words, Shifty pulled his hand off his shirt with disgust, as if from a rotten corpse. “And what are you gonna do? Will stoop so-o-o low and leave if my plan so unsuccessful, you see?

Lifty remained silent, watching his brother`s high and mighty eyes intently.

“I don`t understand, what`s keeping you here…” Shifty whispered, shaking his head.

He closed his eyes and turned around, leaving in silence, abandoning his brother once again. Lifty couldn`t understand himself, what was keeping him here. If you start to think about it—you won`t find an answer. You can`t find it for all these years—what chances you will now? He`s grown tired of his weakness and constant struggle with himself, so tiring already. However, the new deal, unfortunately, forced him to stay. You can`t change your nature in a moment. A new deal, that threatened with a life sentence.


End file.
